1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a float used for a liquid waste disposal apparatus serving to absorb, to solidify and to dispose a liquid waste such as unwanted blood, other body fluids, secretion derived from a medical scene or pus or physiological sodium chloride solution used for cleansing affected areas.
2. Description of Related Art
A liquid waste (e.g. unwanted blood, other body fluids, secretion, pus, or physiological sodium chloride solution used for cleansing affected areas) derived from medical scenes, particularly at a scene of surgical operation, is collected into a container or a collecting bag for disposal and incineration by an absorbing apparatus.
However, since the liquid waste may contain a harmful bacteria or the like, a secondary infection may occur among medical employees, hospital patients and the like, when the container or the collecting bag becomes damaged or when an excessive amount of the liquid waste is absorbed exceeding a capacity of the collecting bag.
For preventing thus created problem, an apparatus for solidifying a liquid waste with a water-absorptive material arranged inside a collecting bag is provided and methods for arranging the liquid waste solidifying water-absorptive material inside the collecting bag are provided such as: a method of forming a collecting bag with a non-water permeable sheet and a water-absorptive sheet stuck with each other in which the water-absorptive sheet is arranged as an inner surface, a method of dropping a prepared water-absorptive material into a collecting bag after an absorption of liquid waste, or a method of fixing a water-absorptive material at a bottom portion of a collecting bag.
Nevertheless, the foregoing conventional example of forming a collecting bag with a non-water permeable sheet and a water-absorptive sheet stuck with each other caused an inner portion to be unable to be seen from outside and also caused difficulty of folding and also caused inconvenience during storage and transport owing to a multiple structure of the collecting bag.
With the foregoing conventional example of dropping a prepared water-absorptive material into a collecting bag after absorption of liquid waste, further absorption could not be performed once solidification is completed and there remained a danger when toppled during the middle of a process since solidification would not proceed until the water-absorptive material is dropped inside the collecting bag.
With the foregoing conventional example of fixing a water-absorptive material at a bottom portion of a collecting bag, a solidifying speed would decrease in association with the proceeding of the liquid waste absorption process.
It is an object of this invention to solve the aforementioned problems by providing a float for a liquid waste disposal apparatus having a simple structure to enable the amount of the content inside a container more visible and to allow a faster and steadier solidification of an absorbed liquid waste.
This invention for solving the foregoing problems relates to a float for a liquid waste disposal apparatus contained in a floatable state inside a container for containing an absorbed liquid waste comprising: a solidifying agent retained inside; and a flow path for flowing downward the liquid waste absorbed from an upper portion into the container, wherein the float is permitted to revolve in a vertical direction.
Thus structured, the flow path formed by the float flows downward the liquid waste absorbed from the upper portion into the container. The float could bear a simple structure without having any particular means or structures for enabling the float to float steadily since revolution of the float in a vertical direction is permitted. The solidifying agent retained inside the float serves to solidify the liquid waste.
The solidifying agent could be provided within the container since the float itself is capable of retaining the solidifying agent; subsequently, the solidification of liquid waste inside the container enables the container to be solely and sanitarily disposed.
By controlling a specific gravity of the float for a liquid waste disposal apparatus to become less than 1, a liquid surface could be easily confirmed from outside by checking the position of the float since the float would always remain afloat at a gas-liquid interface; accordingly, an amount of the absorbed liquid waste could easily be visually recognized and could also function as a level gauge.
By forming the float into a spherical shape, a disc shape, a circular-donut shape, or with an oval shaped cross section in a longitudinal direction, an elliptical cross section in a longitudinal direction, the float could bear a simple structure capable of maintaining a uniform floating state even when revolving in a vertical direction and thus structured, a relatively large capacity of solidifying agent could be retained inside the float.
The float could bear a simple structure where a floating position could be matched to the position of the absorption stop valve arranged at the upper inner portion of the container by forming a guide member at an outer peripheral portion of a float body in which the guide member is restrained by an inner wall of the container for restricting a floating position of the float in a horizontal direction.
By structuring the float to push upward and activate an absorption stop valve arranged at an upper inner portion of the container, the absorption stop valve is activated to automatically stop absorption when the float inside the container reaches an upper end portion of the container; subsequently, the buoyancy of the float activates the absorption stop valve to automatically stop the absorption of liquid waste before the container becomes full and also serves to prevent an air pump or the like from malfunctioning from an excessive absorption into the container.
By wrapping the solidifying agent retained inside the float with a water permeable sheet (e.g. traditional Japanese paper), the liquid waste absorbed from the upper portion flows downward into the container and permeates into the water penneable sheet (e.g. traditional Japanese paper) via the flow path and contacts to the solidifying agent, or in a state where the liquid waste has flowed through and under the float, the liquid waste permeates into the water permeable sheet (e.g. traditional Japanese paper) and contacts to the solidifying agent; and then, the solidifying agent swells to tear the water permeable sheet causing the solidifying agent from the flow path to be mixed into the liquid waste so as to solidify the liquid waste under the float.
By wrapping the solidifying agent retained inside the float with a water-soluble film, the liquid waste absorbed from the upper portion flows downward into the container via the flow path and contacts to the water-soluble sheet and dissolves the water-soluble sheet, or in a state where the liquid waste has flowed through and under the float, the liquid waste contacts to the water-soluble sheet and dissolves the water-soluble sheet causing the solidifying agent from the flow path to be mixed into the liquid waste so as to solidify the liquid waste under the float.
By having at least one portion of the float for a liquid waste disposal apparatus in a florescent color or in a color distinguishable between a color of a liquid waste, a liquid surface could easily be confirmed from outside since the position of the float could easily be visually recognized; accordingly, an operator could positively confirm the used capacity as well as the remaining capacity of the container.